In fact, it wasn't until the next day during breakfast that Guy Whitall was alerted to the presence of the 330-pound Nile croc by the screams of his housemaid.

Whittall, director at the Humani lodge in Zimbabwe, noted that crocodiles are "experts at hiding" and "know how to keep quiet," which is how the beast was able to go unnoticed by him for eight hours.

"The really disconcerting thing about the whole episode is the fact that I was sitting on the edge of the bed that morning, bare foot and just centimetres away from the croc," Whittall is quoted as saying.

With the help of a few coworkers, Whittall managed to drag the uninvited guest out of his room and back to its natural habitat in the nearby Turgwe River.

"They often wander about the bush especially when it's cold and raining," said Whittall. "I think he liked it under the bed because it was warm."